Functional Practices

Functional Practices

Board

In our digital and connected age and ever increasing public scrutiny surrounding governance and the role of non-executive directors, the demand for talented executives with strategic acumen and reasoned judgment has spiraled. Finding talent, both excellent and diverse, is key to our success as we recognise that finding and landing non-executives requires the same preparation, commitment and enthusiasm as any important executive post. Equally, individuals want assurance that the board is well run, brings together a good range of talent and skills and that they will personally have an opportunity to make an impact. Organisations themselves need to consider the balance of the existing board in terms of skills and experience; what particular contribution is wanted from the new non-executive? How much sector knowledge must they have and how is that balanced against competitive concerns? What is the realistic time commitment expected?

Our unique approach and reputation in the diversity and gender fields has been of value as has our client spread which is uniquely positioned at the junction between the commercial world and public sector. This enables us to be particularly effective in advising both clients and candidates about possibilities across a wider range of opportunities. Our rigorous approach to research ensures we can identify outstanding talent and not just the "usual suspects" for these roles.

Chief Executive

Alongside our Board level work, we are experts at advising on CEO appointments and are well placed to identify outstanding talent. Recognising the wide range of skills needed for today's CEO from leadership, strategy formulation and implementation, the ability to manage and develop a top team as well effectively interfacing with the external world in today’s 24/7 media environment. We recognise the critical importance of getting the right person and that no two appointments are the same. Dealing effectively with CEO succession demands alertness and awareness to context. It is one of the most critical events in the lifecycle of an organisation and appointing a new leader offers an opportunity for new learning for both the organisation and its top team.

Corporate Functions

We have successfully placed over 100 senior professionals across HR, CFO, Marketing & Corporate Communications & Digital Leadership in the last year

Regulation & Strategy

The regulation and strategy practice utilises our extensive networks across both the corporate world and public sector; whether for the most senior executive and non-executive positions or specialist heads of strategy and policy. We draw on our depth of experience in the regulatory sector, as well as our knowledge and experience across the commercial sector. Over the past five years, we have worked with clients as diverse as FTSE 100 utility providers, government economic regulators, professional bodies and leading financial services institutions. We have also been involved in the creation of many new bodies and organisations.

Information, Technology & Digital Officers

The CIO and CTO have vital roles to play in any organisation in an increasingly digitised world and we have placed outstanding practitioners, as well as regularly moving people across sectors. Successful digital transformation requires leadership at multiple points across an organisation. So we help organisations build digital capability and experience which will enable them to develop and lead a vision of digital transformation that aligns with the company strategy. We also have experience of appointing digital functional roles at the senior executive level (including executives who own the digital strategy with the CEO and board), as well as helping companies across many industries who need digital specialists to lead sector-specific initiatives.

Marketing & Communications

Whether you are looking for a classically trained marketer or individuals with digital and creative skills, we know where to look, having advised on disruptive start ups through to major international CMO roles for household names to leading UK institutions. And in the white heat of the digital world, where every second counts in trying to reach your audience with pinpoint precision getting the messaging right is crucial to success. We are committed to finding clients the best in class talent and have consulted on a wide range of senior communications and marketing roles, as well as specialists covering investor relations, internal communications, employee engagement, culture/values and public affairs.

Chief Financial Officers

We have developed a depth of experience in looking for talented financial professionals across the commercial world. We help our clients find their next CFOs, assessing the increasingly broad range of activities and competencies covered by the finance function. We have expertise in hiring senior finance directors as well as their direct reports: financial controllers, divisional, regional and unit FDs, treasurers and investor relations executives. We also help clients source and assess talented finance professionals who can deliver expertise in capital markets, leadership, governance/regulatory, M&A, tax, treasury, risk and decision support. Through our extensive knowledge of the CFO market, we are also able to identify appropriately qualified financial experts for Board and NED roles that often include prominent positions on the Audit Committee.

Human Resources

Human Resources Appointments are a major strength of our firm; we have deep experience in helping clients find HR officers who will take a leadership role in managing talent, succession planning and the professional development of their people. We also have a strong track record of identifying leaders who are experts in engaging and motivating employees and who really understand how to align HR strategies with business plans. We are absolutely committed to helping our clients identify the best talent – those who can support their CEO, the board and the senior leadership team to create a strong, results-oriented culture. We have also advised on a substantial range of international HR roles, from FTSE100 companies to leading Asian and US businesses, professional service firms and a wide range of other blue chip multinationals.

Functional Practices Consulting Team

Stephen Bampfylde

Board Practice

Stephen is co-founder and Chairman of Saxton Bampfylde. He began his career working for IBM and Whitehall, where he spent nearly 10 years before moving into top level executive search. For 27 years he has been involved in the recruitment of executives to senior positions across all sectors. He helped establish the worldwide professional association AESC in Europe and was its international director for a number of years. Outside executive search, he has been involved with the advisory boards of the Business Schools at Cambridge and City Universities, is a Trustee of the Yvonne Arnaud theatre, and is former Chairman of the Guildford Cathedral Council. Stephen read Economics at Jesus College, Cambridge and studied corporate finance at London Business School..

Kate Ludlow

HR & Board Practices

Kate is one of four executive directors of the firm and works on both executive and board appointments in the commercial sector. She leads our Family Owned and Employee Owned Practices, which are a rapidly growing part of our business. During her nine years with the firm she has twice been elected by all the partners of the firm as a Trustee; she has also worked overseas for a year with our partner firm in Vancouver. Kate has a degree in Music from Cambridge University.

David Munns

Chief Financial Officers Practice

David has led the firm’s Finance Practice since 2012. He has led over fifty CFO, Audit Committee Chair and direct reports to the CFO searches in the commercial, public and charity sectors. Our Finance Practice is a market leader in University CFO/FD and school/college bursar searches. David also specialises in Chair and CEO searches in the education sector for commercial and not for profit sectors.
Before joining Saxton Bampfylde David was CFO of three organisations: the Financial Times Publishing Group, Rocco Forte Hotels and Kaplan Europe. He was also a non executive director of Colliers CRE plc. He read Law at UCL, has an MBA from the University of Chicago and is a chartered accountant.

Sarah Orwin

HR Practice

Sarah Orwin has spent the majority of her career in executive search. She has been at Saxton Bampfylde for the past 15 years, and works across a wide range of sectors on both executive and non-executive appointments. Prior to this, Sarah spent five years as Group Talent Director for Barclays plc, having started her career with Citi, working for them initially in London and then for three years in Brazil. In between, Sarah spent 12 years as a management consultant with EY, latterly as the director responsible for their executive search and interim business. Sarah’s recent clients include Sellafield Ltd, Arup, Prudential, HSBC and BP, for whom Sarah has worked continuously for more than 10 years. Sarah has an MA in Modern History from Oxford University.

Jonathan Morgan

Regulation & Strategy Practice

Jonathan has worked in search for over 10 years and heads our regulation and government affairs practice. He joined the consulting team at Saxton Bampfylde after heading our education research. He has advised on board level appointments across the private, public and not for profit sectors; he also leads our competition practice. Jonathan read Chinese at Edinburgh University, has a diploma in management from Cambridge, and is an alumnus of Kellogg School of Management. Jonathan is a governor of Purley Nursery and Children's Centre.

Mike Hounsell

Mike Hounsell joined Saxton Bampfylde from the University of Surrey where he held the role of Vice President Marketing, Communications, Recruitment and Admissions. Prior to this, he had a successful career in the private sector working across multiple sectors including; consumer goods (Diageo, Allied Domecq), telecommunications (NTL), and financial services (American Express and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society), in senior marketing and general management board positions. He was also a Trustee for 4 years for East Anglia Childrens’ Hospices. He is a Business Studies alumnus of the University of West London, and attended the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 2008.